This is an easy starting place, and can be as basic or as complex as you want it to be. You can either purchase a small cabinet at a department store, a milk crate, or use a cardboard box. Purchase a pack of hanging files with tabs and set up your portfolio's filing system.

Examples
Really Basic-
One folder per child with their name on it, where you would file all samples of paperwork, projects, photos, and other samples together.

More Complex-
One hanging folder per child with their name on it for semi-annual progress reports, attendance, journal, and One hanging folder behind the child's assessment folder for each of the basic curriculum requirements of 59-65-47. You would then put samples in each of the required areas. This makes it easy for you to see if you are lacking samples from a particular subject, or if you have too many of a particular subject.
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies (History)
Composition (additional requirement for grades 7th -12th)
Literature (additional requirement for grades 7th - 12th)
Add folders for your extra subjects, those subjects that you work on that are not included in 59-65-47.
Bible
Art
Sign Language
Foreign Languages
Typing
Home Economics
Field Trips

The great benefit of this system is that you can file everything that they do, and pull out the samples you want to keep at the end of the school year.

The easiest way to do a 3 ring binder to be inclusive of all the required subjects would be to use divider sheets with tabs. Set up one binder for each child and a divider sheet for each of the required subjects under 59-65-47. You can easily flip through the 3 Ring Binder periodically for each of your children to see what areas you need to add samples to.
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies (History)
Composition (additional requirement for grades 7th -12th)
Literature (additional requirement for grades 7th - 12th)
Then add additional divider sheets with tabs for your extra subjects.
Bible
Art
Sign Language
Foreign Languages
Typing
Home Economics
Field Trips
If you purchase the 3 Ring Binders with the plastic slip front and back covers, the children can design front and back pages for their covers. Most children will enjoy the individualized look it will have.

The scrapbook would require more work and effort to put together; however, the children would have a great memory book to share with their children and grand children one day. Lots of photos of projects and activities would be a really big plus, so pull out your cameras and start documenting all the great things they are doing while homeschooling. One of the benefits of helping the child/ren to create their own scrapbook portfolio is that they will be journaling, or documenting all of the activities and samples that they are including in their scrapbook. This would be samplings of their writing!

This can be a professional case from a department store or a homemade one like the Art Portfolio discussed below. This would be a great portfolio for the High School Student or the child that dreams of a business career or profession . Their very own portfolio case could be a great self esteem builder. Of course you would keep samples from each required area of 59-65-47 (reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, for grades 7th - 12th composition and literature). Samples from your extra subjects would have a nice home in a portfolio case too.

A.
No, you may choose to use just one; however, you can do a combination of various techniques.

In the Miller home, we use several different types of portfolios. We do so much, and with so many chillies that we've chosen to do more than one.

We have the catch it all file cabinet that I put all of their extra stuff in. Later I can go back and pull out samples to keep, and throw away the rest when I have time (I usually do this at the end of each school year). This makes it easier on me for record keeping and housecleaning.

We have an ABC scrapbook of field trips and activities.

Each child has their own scrapbook too. They have all done very creative pages in them, we do these on a as time permits basis, so they are not considered our portfolios (as we would not be able to keep them maintained on a regular basis).

Each child has an Art Portfolio case that they made from white poster board. We used two large pieces for the front and back, and a piece cut about 1/3 to 1/2 lengthwise as a cover to close their portfolio case. The sides and bottom were made from the extra poster board pieces. The sides and bottom being about 2 inches wide times the length of the side or the bottom. We used wide tape to tape the sides and the bottom to the front and the back all together. They used acrylic paints to make their own unique designs, covering every inch of the outside (they liked doing that). Inside their Art Portfolios, they put all of their very best art. We put two brass brads on that they use string or yarn to loop and tie the cover closed. There's one on the closing cover and one below it on the front.

With the Life In America, we use the 3 ring binders for their portfolios. They've all got a good supply of the plastic sheet protectors, so they can put smaller than normal items in there. Lots of their cool paper science projects are placed in them. I've typed and printed up a weekly assignment sheet where they write the assigments/projects that they have choosen. They've made tabs by cutting colored index cards and taping them to the assignment sheets. On the tab they write what the lesson number and the lesson name is. There's a spot for mom or dad to initial when the task is completed. Behind the assignment sheet we put the outline of work and projects for the week. They place all of their assignments, projects, and reports behind the outline. We enjoy the extra structure and organization of this system as it makes it easier with so many children with special needs.

We also use 3 ring binder time lines, which help them to keep history straight and they have a record of what they've done in history all of their homeschooling years. Our time lines have gotten so big that they have two separate ones, one for the BC and one for the AD.

They've just started 3 ring binder Genealogy Books, and a 3 ring binder for Family Folklore.

They will be doing several 4-H projects in 3 ring binders this year- a feather collection, tree leaves, the folklore (recipes and other family stuff), and I'm not sure what else they'll talk me into.

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